Pot-roast chicken with sides (grydestegt kylling med persille)

This pot-roasted chicken is cooked with lots of parsley, and is served with rhubarb compote, cucumber salad, crushed potatoes and lettuce salad with granny dressing on the side.

• serves

  4

• prep

  1 hour

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• butter, for frying
• 1 large chicken, quartered
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
• 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp water (optional)

Cucumber salad

• 4 small cucumbers
• 1½ tbsp table salt
• 100 ml white vinegar
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• ½ tsp whole peppercorns
• 1–2 bay leaves

Rhubarb compote

• 1 bunch rhubarb, trimmed, rinsed and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly (see Note)
• 1 tbsp pure icing sugar (see Note)

Crushed potatoes

• 1 kg Dutch cream potatoes or similar, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 150 g butter
• sea salt

Butter lettuce with granny dressing

• 2 butter lettuce, outer leaves discarded, leaves separated and rinsed
• 100 ml pouring cream
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1–2 tbsp pure icing sugar

Marinating time 1 hour

You can prepare the cucumber salad and the rhubarb compote a day or two in advance.

Instructions

To make the cucumber salad, using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the cucumbers into thin ribbons and place in a bowl. Add the salt and combine well. Stand for 1 hour. 

Place remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stand until cool. Drain and squeeze out excess water from cucumber and place in a bowl. Pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the drained cucumber and stand until needed.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

To make the rhubarb compote, place all the ingredients in a small roasting pan, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until just tender. Pour off any excess liquid, mash with a fork and set aside to cool.

Melt the butter in a heavy-based flameproof baking dish over medium–high heat. Cook the chicken pieces for 8–10 minutes, until golden on both sides. Add the parsley and stock and bring to the boil. Season lightly, then cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, to make the crushed potatoes, cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of unsalted boiling water for 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and leave over the heat to steam for 1 minute, then crush potatoes with a fork. Add the butter and crush until a chunky consistency. Season with the sea salt.

When chicken is tender, remove from the pan. Add the cornflour paste to pan and simmer for 2–3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Alternatively, simmer the juices until reduced and slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan and simmer until just heated through.

To make the lettuce salad, separate the inner leaves and soak in iced water for about 10 minutes, then drain. Whisk together the cream, lemon juice and icing sugar until well combined and slightly thickened. Pour dressing over lettuce leaves.

Serve the chicken with crushed potatoes, rhubarb compote, and cucumber and butter leaf salads. Alternatively, place all accompaniments in bowls and let everyone help themselves. 

Note

• To make the rhubarb compote, you can use 2–3 tbsp caster sugar instead of the jelly and icing sugar.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.